Death's Kiss
by Anlynne
Summary: Nico di Angelo was looking to say goodbye.


No one noticed Nico di Angelo. He liked it that way. Noticing the son of Hades? A lord of the Underworld? People treated him like garbage when they saw him, sensing the death he exuded from his skin. It's not as though he actually smelled - in fact, he thought he smelled just fine, but no amount of cologne would cover what he obviously was. And so he let the shadows that clung to his pull him in, he allowed himself to become death instead of its son.

That didn't stop Nico from being... Human, if that's what you could call it. He did have a pulse, it was not as though he was a vampire. Even the lonely demigod felt what others felt. He knew love. Only love didn't know him.

Percy Jackson's head bobbed up from the Long Island Sound after what appeared to be an interesting chat with a trout. Nico continued to watch as he made his way to shore, pushing his black hair out of those memorable sea-green eyes. Nico's heart was wrenched from him from that simple act and from knowing that he was about to end any sort of normalcy that he had with him.

Nico couldn't hide in the shadows anymore. He pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against and as he walked the bright green grass died to a sickly shade of brown at his feet. Still, Percy didn't look over.

Death. No one notices until its too late. Death didn't knock. It didn't announce itself.

Nico fell into step beside the son of Poseidon, looking up at him through the part in his dark shaggy hair. A few steps later, Percy stopped.

"Gods of Olympus! You scared me, Nico. What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk. Come with me." He shrugged toward the North Woods, and led Percy just barely inside to provide the protection of onlookers but distance from the more dangerous creatures the woods gave. Of course, privacy was impossible to come by in Camp Half-Blood. Even the dryads gossiped. But it didn't matter. Nico wasn't planning on sticking around long enough.

Percy's hand instinctively went to his hip where his pen was clipped. Even after everything Nico had done for him, Percy was as wary as ever. No one trusted Death. No one should. But there was nothing that Nico wouldn't do for Percy. He had already broken him out of Hades' Palace (although to be fair, Nico _did_ place him there). He had him bathe in the River Styx to make him invulnerable to Kronos. All Nico wanted was for Percy to be safe, even if having him was an impossibility.

"What's up, Nico?"

He almost changed his mind. He was being dumb. Nico remembered the first time he saw Percy: He had come barging into his school protecting Nico from monsters, he sat talking with Nico until he was called away. Instantly he had been taken by him, impressed by his skill. All he wanted was to be as brave as Percy Jackson.

Through the years Nico learned quickly that it was a special kind of bravery that Percy had; it was stupid. Percy was rash and careless.

Just once, Nico wanted to be as stupidly brave, rash and careless as Percy. He needed to, or he would regret it. Or explode. Either one.

"Hey, man. Are you okay?"

Nico stared at him hard, building that inane courage before grabbing the back of Percy's neck and jerking him down, crashing their lips together. It was one moment of bliss when Percy was still. He wasn't talking or being brave or looking right past him. It was a blissful moment until there were hands at his shoulders, pushing him back.

"Whoa! Nico! What -" He inhaled quickly, regaining the breath that he stole.

Nico shrugged again. He looked back further into the woods and thought of shadow-traveling. He had nothing more to say. "See ya, Percy."

"Wait! Nico!"

Nico stopped, his heart banging painfully against his rib cage. He wanted to disappear into the earth, sink below its surface. No one would miss him, only perhaps Hazel, but Hazel would never understand. Nico barely understood.

"I - I don't... What... Why?"

"I don't know... Because you're good. You're selfless. I don't know, Percy."

The deeper shadows of the woods pulled to him, and Nico almost went, but there came a hand on his shoulder. Nico didn't like being touched, but by Percy he would allow it. It may be the last time he'd feel him.

Nico went still, bracing for the blow. He wouldn't crumble, or cry, he wouldn't shame himself in front of the boy he loved. He waited.

Death was always alone.

"I'm sorry. I - I never knew," Percy whispered.

"Now you do," he spat harshly with as much poison as he could muster, but his resolve was fading.

Nico's shoulder was wrenched back, forcibly spun around, and Percy's mouth was on his. Nico's eyes were wide, unsure. This wasn't how it went in his head. Percy, as always, surprised him.

When Nico's mind finally cleared, his eyes closed and he returned the kiss with fervent desire. He pulled at Percy's sides, tugging him closer to him, the beads of the water spotting his black shirt. He couldn't get enough - couldn't get near enough. The scent of salt-water surrounded him, drowning him.

This time, it was Nico who broke the kiss. His breath was ragged and his mind filled up with sludge, making him slow and hopeless. It couldn't be real. He waited for Percy for too long. He just wanted to say goodbye.

"You should've told me sooner," Percy said.

"It's too late, I know."

Percy shook his head, as if trying to catch up with Nico's train of thought. "No... I meant... Time..." He couldn't string together his words, the meaning lost in the summer air.

"It's a goodbye."

"What? Nico, why would you do that and leave?"

Nico blinked, shuffling the dirt under his feet. He felt fear creeping itself up his neck. It made him colder than usual, and he was pretty cold. He wasn't believing the reality in front of him, but he knew better than to know it was a dream. His dreams were never so good.

"You want me?"

Percy seemed unable of speech, his mouth gaped open like a hooked fish. Maybe he didn't know, or he was flabbergasted at the question. Then he snapped his jaw closed, took Nico's hands, and kissed him again.

No longer did Nico feel unwanted and alone in the world. There were Gods and there were monsters, and Nico had fought both. It was Percy that threaded meaning into his life. He made Nico feel alive.

"Let's go to the bonfire."

Nico realized dusk was setting. He smiled, his lips cracking as he did so. He knew he was proving something to Nico, reinforcing his feelings, showing he wasn't ashamed to be seen with a child of the Underworld, but Nico didn't need it. Night was his and he was going to share it, something he always wanted to do with Percy.

"How about we go someplace else?" He squeezed his hand.

"Where?"

"Anywhere in the world you want."

Percy smiled back, and wove their fingers together. "Go on then, Ghost King."


End file.
